Sunday, December 18, 2016

Thrown to the Wolves

By Naomi Clark

Thank you for having me
today! I'm here with my new Romance on the Go, THROWN TO THE WOLVES. This story
was partially inspired by an article I read on Romania's Hoia Forest earlier
this year. It's long been famous for paranormal activity, from UFO sightings to
the strangely shaped trees. Some people believe it's a gateway to another
dimension, whilst others say it's haunted by the ghost of murdered peasants.
There's a rich history of folklore and urban legend growing there, and so what
better place to set a paranormal tale?

I've stayed away from UFOs and ghosts, though, and instead gone with vampires
and werewolves. Well, it is Romania! In THROWN TO THE WOLVES, aspiring author
and tattooed tomboy Paige goes hunting for inspiration. And she finds
it...along with danger, ancient enemies, and of course, love. I hope you'll
enjoy my little venture into the Hoia Forest!

Blurb

Paige went to Romania
looking for inspiration for a book. She found herself caught in a horror story.
Attacked and left for dead by a vampire, Paige finds herself at the mercy of
Kata, a beautiful, enigmatic werewolf. Their attraction is instant, but Paige's
fate hangs in the balance. She may yet be turned into a vampire herself. Soon
it's clear to Paige that the only way to save herself may be to return to the
woman who attacked her...even if it means placing both herself and Kata in the
greatest danger.

Excerpt

This
was her rescuer, she guessed. She'd gone from the jaws of a wolf to the bed of
a woman, so someone had rescued her. But there was nothing about this
woman that said “safe” or “friendly.” She was regal, imposing, and her silence
was intimidating. But Paige didn't have it in her to sit meekly and say
nothing. For all she knew, she could be worse trouble now, with this woman,
than she'd been out in the woods or with the creature she'd fled in the first
place.

The
memory of the woman who wasn't a woman made her shudder, and she touched her
throat. She felt dried blood and a dull ache, and it forced her to speak.

"What
are you?" she asked.

It
was probably the wrong thing to say. She should have said thank you, or asked
where she was, or even asked the woman's name. But those questions didn't
matter even a tiny fucking bit. Not after the nightmare she'd found herself in.

The
woman laughed, a rich sound that made Paige think, incongruously, of sticky
toffee pudding. "You are smarter than I thought," she said in
heavily-accented English. "When you see a woman lost in these woods at
night, you don't think she can be very smart."

Unnerved,
Paige sat up slowly, pulling the rough duvet up with her. She was still fully
clothed, she realized, but the duvet gave her a sense of security anyway.
Stupid, but true.

"My
name is Kata," the woman continued. She turned to a small, rough-hewn
table at the bedside. A jug of water and a glass sat there, and she filled the
glass before offering it to Paige.

Kata
gave her a mock innocent look, eyes wide. "Sorry. Perhaps my English is
not so good."

Paige
thought Kata's English was probably fine, certainly better than Paige's
Romanian. "What are you?" she asked again, louder and slower this
time, in that ignorant manner so many Brits abroad used that she hated. Her
voice shook as she spoke, but she managed to hold Kata's gaze and she was proud
of that.

Kata
set the glass down and pointed to the wound on Paige's throat. "You have
seen things already tonight I think you would not believe, yes? So I will ask
you, what do you think I am?"

Her
voice was gentle, with genuine curiosity in the question. And Paige thought
about it, and thought she could fall into hysterics or rage, deny what her
heart already knew and claim it was impossible. It would be easy—nice, even—to
do that, because twelve hours ago, she would have said it was impossible, and
she would have laughed at anyone who told her otherwise.

The
problem was, hysteria and denial never helped. Staying calm, acknowledging the
problem and finding a solution, that was what helped, whatever the situation.
And besides, wasn't the bite at her throat proof that it wasn't impossible?
Wasn't passing out in front of a wolf and waking up in front of a woman just
further proof? Impossible wasn't impossible anymore.

Naomi likes writing, perfume,
fancy tea, and unfathomable monsters from the dark spaces between the stars,
not necessarily in that order. She has been writing stories ever since she
learned how to write, but is still trying to master the art of biography
writing. When she's not dealing with werewolves, demons, or sea monsters, she's
hanging out with her cat and probably watching a documentary about Bigfoot. If
the cat isn't available, she's with her fiancé watching cookery shows and silently
plotting her next book.

Pages

About Maggie

Maggie is a writer of paranormal and contemporary romance. She lives in Adelaide, Australia and is a member of Romance Writers of Australia, and the local chapter SARA(South Australian Romance Authors). She hasa Bachelor of Arts in Drama, English and Creative Writing atFlinders University. She had a short story published in theRWA Topaz Anthology Little Gems in 2010 called Sea andVines. She has six books out with Rogue Phoenix Press. She also has four paranormal romances with Soul Mate Publishing. She is also published in contemporary romance with Evernight Publishing.

She has also performed for many years in corporateentertainment for which she wrote her own sketches, whichprobably explains why her head is so full of characters. Sheloves writing romance but thinks falling in love can be scary,especially in her stories where creatures of the night really exist.